Aghr - just going over and over this in my head - advice please?

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SouthWestWhippet

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Okay... here goes sorry if it is long.

I love my mare but she is tricksy and sometimes I think I'm not the best for her especially in the jumping as she needs someone who is more forward thinking than I am to reach her full potential. Basically she stops with me sometimes because I get too grabby with her when she tanks me into fences. She is also, and this is the real issue, too small for me. I'm a leggy 5'7 and she is a narrow girthed small 15.2 and I just look too tall and gangly on her. Experienced people have told me this.

I've been riding my boss' 16.3 warmblood 4yr old and he just feels SO right in terms of size - plus he is 4 and a baby and just so much fun to work with. It has really made me realise that I really ought to think about getting something bigger.

Some of you may have read my how much post about the warmblood - basically he is likely to be cheap for what he is because he windsucks. I probably couldn't ever afford a horse like him that didn't have a problem like windsucking (being honest with myself here).

So here is what I am thinking... I don't want to sell Polly as I'd like to have a foal from her but I can't really afford to run 2 horses, especially over winter. I have some friends who owe me a favour (I backed a horse for them) who have some land they would almost certainly let me graze for free up in Bristol.

Option A) put Polly in foal, buy the Warmblood, run them both over the summer and send Polly to friends' for the winter. (Ideal option really but risk - if anything goes wrong with free grazing will be stuck paying winter livery for 2 which would be a nightmare)

Option B) Put Polly in foal, enjoy riding Warmblood for free on boss' time and hope he doesn't get sold. Send Polly away over winter and hope to have something else to ride by then

Option C) Sell Polly, buy Warmblood - You don't need 2 horses damit and the Warmblood feels fantastic when you ride him!

Option D) Keep Polly and don't put her in foal, she's got loads of tallent and you are still enjoying her. There is plenty of time to buy bigger horses in the future plus Windsucking is a terrible vice.

Option E) Something Else.

HELP??????????????? What would you do? It all comes down to finaces really. Currently I am resonable comforatably running 1 horse, competing without worrying too much about cost and generally enjoying myself. BUT if I took on another I think I would have to really budget hard.
 
I think if you have even got to the stage of asking these questions, you are ready to move Polly on and get stuck into that Warmblood. Could you put Polly on loan and buy the Warmblood, that way you are not actually giving Polly up and still have some control over her future and breed from her at a later date.

Edited to correct hideous spelling!
 
Is that your mare in your sig? She looks lovely - and you don't look big on her at all. I'm 5ft 9 and recently had a 15.3 fine WB and looked fine.

Warmblood sounds nice, but sometimes the grass can be greener - if you know what your problems are with your mare - ie the jumping, why not just work on those and learn not to grab at her/teach her to be steadier etc.

Only you know what to do and what you really want, but as you say danger of 2 horses over winter would not be good!
 
why cant you put polly on loan? i think if you are having to ask yourself seriously if you can afford to horses and think it would be a struggle then i think you shouldn't get two horses. are you having lessons with polly? xxx
 
I would be tempted to sell the mare. If you put her in foal you are then going to be up to 3 and if anything happens between you and your friend then you are left a bit high and dry. Would you be putting her in foal to give her a job to do as she is not that suitable for you to ride?
Its a tough one maybe look at putting her out on loan seeing how she/you copes and sell her after that?
 
Windsucking isn't a major vice, and there are things you can do to help it... Sooo... from that point of view I'd go for option A.
There are sure to be cheap grass livery places around if your free grazing doesn't work out... BUT would you be able to afford 3 horses once you have the foal as well?
What would you do with Polly after she's had the foal and it's weaned?
Is Polly a suitable horse to breed from, if she's a bit quirky anyway?
If the real issue is she's too small, which you aren't going to be able to do anything about, then is the kindest thing to her to sell her on, and get something more suited, ie the warmblood?
Sorry for the rambling, am thinking as I type...
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I replied to your post before about the windsucking and how an antacid and forage diet can help. If you can't afford to keep 2 horses, please do not put Polly in foal - if things go wrong, you could well end up in a financial mess. There is an old saying "if you can't afford the horse when its 20, please don't breed when there are plenty".

Why not sell Polly if she is not what you want and buy the Warmblood, from reading your post, I would guess this is what you really want to do.
 
If you keep Polly and put her in foal and buy the Warmblood you will (eventually) end up with 3 horses to pay for and as you say you cant really afford to keep 2 how will you keep 3?

Also putting in foal is NOT cheap so you will have to consider that too.

Do YOU feel big on Polly? If not then why worry what other people think. However as you are already questing after the Warmblood are you being honest with yourself that you dont just want to 'move onto' something bigger/different?

Finances have to pay a big part in keeping horses as lets face it they really are bl**dy expensive. If you have the two (or 3 with foal) can you still go out and about on the WB? Would you be compromising on what you want to do?

As for windsucking - really think this is one of those things that is seen as being so terrible but I have known some TOP horses in the fields of SJ and Dressage that windsuck and it has never caused them a problem so I dont see it as being that horrendous.

What would I do? Hmmmmm hard one really and I can see why you are having this dilemma. Personally I would find a lovely loan home for Polly and buy the WB. Then if in the future you want to put Polly in foal and you have the money you can.
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Haven't spoken to him about it yet... but as he is also my boss and the owner of the Warmblood I want some other opinions first LOL.

A lot of Polly's issues are not to do with how I ride her but how she is - she is naturally arguementative and a very tense character. Lessons have helped *me* to relax and not to argue back but she is always going to be the sort of horse that looks for a bit of a row and sometimes I think 'should it be this difficult all the time?' Maybe she would be happier with someone who was happier to let her get on with it. She can't stand me trying to set her up or balance her for jumps, she is used to be jumped by kids who just hurtle her in at 90mph... Sadly I just CANNOT jump this way, it scares the life out of me
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But then she is improving slowly so maybe these problems are solvable.?????

thanks for the thoughts, keep em coming. This is very helpful
 
I would listen to my heart. If it was me and I felt I was not suited to Polly I would sell her, give her the opportunity to move on with someone else, then you can add the money to the warmblood
 
This is very true actually.

At the end of the day, the main reason to put Polly in foal is to hopefully get something a bit bigger than her but with the same impressive jump... but that is the same desire I would have with the Warmblood so a bit pointless.

And you are right, I can't afford 3 horses and trying to sell Polly when she is just out of foal and unfit would make it harder to find the perfect home she deserves.
 
don't appologise, rambling is good. Doing a lot of internal rambling here LOL

All good qustions... I shall continue to ponder, I don't think 3 horses is an option at my current yard but then they have no winter T/O so would be moving anyway if I had a youngster and a windsucker LOL.
I think a Polly-Foal would be good if I picked the right dad because she has lots of tallent... but of course it is a risk.

AGGHR going to go crazy here!
 
Remember tho that first foals are often small so I would doubt that you would end up with something bigger than Polly. Also with breeding you never know what you will end up with... it might not be any good at what you want at all.
 
I didn't know that actually, I have only bred one foal previously and that was from a 14'3 mare... he is now standing at 17.2!!!!!! so I think this coloured my perceptions a bit.
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Actually, everything is getting a big clearer in my head now - I think the foal idea is a definate no no so that narrows the choices down a lot. thanks everyone.
 
I would put the mare in foal, put her out, carry on riding the WB, if it gets to the stage where he is going to be sold ask YO for first refusal.

Lots of grass livery to be had in your neck of the woods I imagine?
 
I would sell the mare and get the warmblood.

You don't get on the with mare & what is you don't click with the foal eaither, then you've got 2 to feed etc and then sell? It's an expensive process and no guarantees what the foal with turn out like.

Buy the warmblood and have some fun with no worries !!!
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At 4 the warmblood may still grow & will almost certainly fill out - will he become too big for you? Also his attitude may change as he grows up, at 4 my ID was still very babyish in his outlook & so was willing to take guidance - boy did that change!

The windsucking would be a major consideration for me. Sometimes it can be reduced by careful management & supplements but sadly this isn't always the case. It can cause health problems & can make finding livery difficult as a lot of yards won't take cribbers or windsuckers. Plus if you needed to sell him on the windsucking may make it difficult & would definately effect the price you'd get.

I think I'd stick with Polly for now. If you really feel you've outgrown her then have a good look around at what's on the market rather than rush into this warmblood. If you like him a lot & are seriously considering him then still have a look around, it will give you a better idea of whether he's what you really want or if you just want him because he feels better than Polly.
 
Good point actually, I think I need to be careful about jumping into this other horse and letting that make me 'rush' a decision about Polly.

I think in a lot of ways I have just 'clicked' with this horse. I know that I get him going better than the other girl that rides him who is technically more experienced than me - but just doesn't get along with him. But he just feels *right* when I ride him... But that isn't a good reason to buy a horse and if I want to work as a 'rider' I dont' want to be falling in love with every half decent horse that comes along LOL
 
QUOTE:
I'm a leggy 5'7 and she is a narrow girthed small 15.2 and I just look too tall and gangly on her. Experienced people have told me

Well im a leggy 5ft8ish and my boy is 14.1hh and i dont feel or look to big on him, my colt is only set to make 13.2hh and i intend on riding him aswell
 
From the perspective of a YO, I seriously dislike windsuckers, however you are an owner and if this doesn't bother you then I think the WB could be just what you are looking for.

If I was you, I would buy the WB and sell Polly. I really wouldn't mess about with breeding her - so much can go wrong and what seems like a cheap option of gaining another horse....it rarely is. Breeding can be quite costly if you don't have your own stallion and land.

Option C for me.
 
I have to agree with Vieshot here though - most of my horses are only around the 15hh mark and I have super long legs and stand at 5'8". Mind you I will ride anything.....even my daughter's little 12.2hh. I've never had this notion that you have to have a big horse....although I have had them in my time, they are not what I particularly want nowadays.

However width does play a part in it too, so maybe SWW feels Polly is too narrow for her; somehow I am not so convinced this is the problem though - I just think you don't enjoy riding her anymore...
 
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I just think you don't enjoy riding her anymore...

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oooooo, no this is not the case AT ALL. I love riding her, but I've always been a big horse person. I'm tall and gangly and leggy and I just feel more like I can wrap myself around a big horse - I dunno, just feel more at home up there. I ride all sorts at my boss' yard from 12hh upwards but I love the feeling of being on the big boys/girls.

But I am really grateful to everyone whose replied, there is a lot to think about here so many many thanks.
 
Ah apologies then; well if you love riding her then what does it matter if your legs hang down a bit.
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